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Dealing with the Loss of a Loved One in The Arena by Martin Golan

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The Arena

Sometimes it can be very hard to deal with the loss of a near family member. It is a hard situation to overcome and it is even harder to deal with the fact that the person is not alive anymore. Everything associated with the loss of a beloved one, will be remembered and you will fought bravely to accept the new situation.
The only thing left behind, is the many memories. Sometimes they sadden us and at othertimes they enlight our whole day. This is the situation that the protagonist in the short story, “The Arena” by Martin Golan from 2008, goes through.

The story is circled around the unnamed protagonist. He is the narrator of the story and as a reader we follow him drive his son to the bus so he can meet his lacrosse team at the “The Arena”. The narrator is explicit, because the thoughts and feelings of the protagonist is being provided for the reader. This does not only make the story more subjective but also the events are seen through the eyes of the narrator.
Using this type of a narrator can make the events that occurs in the short story very unreliable, because it is only shown from one specific viewpoint.

The themes that occurs in this short story is the strong bond between a parent and their child. What also seems to be involved is the hope of escaping the pastlife and memories. Maybe it is the mental state of the mind that is on focus. The flashbacks and thougts about the past life could also mean that he misses his old life. So missing

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